Troublesome Topic: THE FOOD LAWS TAUGHT THREE MAJOR TRUTHS

For many people the most problematic aspect of the Former Covenant is the prohibitions regarding food. Quite likely, the reason for this is that they were so well known. Many of God’s people today are not well versed in the regulations that deal with mildew on a wall, or a dead bug falling into a water jug. But almost everyone knows that there were things the Israelites could not eat, some of which are delicacies to us.

Why did God regulate which foods could be eaten and which ones could not be eaten? I know of 12 different answers to that question! However not all of them are equally viable.

Here are the three theories that I feel have validity. They will each be explained in a separate lesson.

The food laws were established:

1. To teach God’s holiness by highlighting the primary categories into which all created things fall – holy, common, clean, unclean.

2. To remind Israel that she had been chosen as a special instrument through which God would work out his redemptive purpose for the world.

3. To teach that God establishes what is “normal” for each setting.

I am convinced that all three of these reasons were intended; they acted like a three-layer cake that is eaten as one cake.

You will notice that health issues are not one of the three theories I believe to be valid. I will take one lesson to rebuff that theory.

The next lesson in all the series about the Covenant is: Dietary Restrictions Were Not about Health Issues